Impatiens plant named &#39;Imtrabastar&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Impatiens  plant, characterised particularly as to novelty by a flat and strong outward spreading growth habit, freely branching with branches that tend to grow horizontally, resulting in a big and floriferous plant with large red-purple flowers with a distinct white star pattern.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Impatiens walleriana

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Imtrabastar’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Impatiens , botanically known as Impatiens walleriana.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Impatiens cultivar has a flat and spreading growing type, is floriferous with large flowers with a distinct star pattern and has attractive dark foliage.

The present cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made in 2002, of a proprietary Impatiens selection identified as ‘T3108-1,’ not patented, as the female , or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens selection identified as ‘T2427-1,’ not patented, as the male, or pollen parent.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in Angers, France, in Gilroy, U.S.A. over a two year period. The distinctive characters of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant, depending on the temperature.

This new Impatiens plant is an annual in most climatical zones in the U.S., only in zones 9 and 10 it is a perennial plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 20 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the office under ambient light. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Impatiens have large, red-purple flowers with a distinct star pattern and a good trailing habit, whereas the plants of the female have medium sized purple flowers with a slight star pattern.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from the male plant selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Impatiens have a trailing plant habit, whereas the plants of the male have a compact, upright plant habit. TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘IMTRABASTAR’ AND A SIMILAR CULTIVAR ‘Imtrarose’ (U.S. Patent Publication No. ‘Imtrabastar’ US-2005-0177916-A1) Flower color Red-purple with white star Rose Flowersize Large Large Number of Fairly floriferous Floriferous flowers Habit Medium long trailing Long trailing branches branches

The family relationship between ‘Imtrabastar’ and ‘Imtrarose’ is: The female parent line of ‘Imtrabastar’ is a cross of ‘T0404-1’ with line ‘R2938.’ ‘R2938’ is (‘RBGE 19821569’×‘J475-2’ crossed with ‘M1007-1’) crossed with (‘RBGE 19821569’×‘G2171-1’ crossed with ‘RBGE 19821569’×‘J475-2’). The male parent line of ‘Imtrarose’ is ‘RBGE 19821569’×‘J475-2’ crossed with ‘M1007-1.’

-   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—‘T3108-1,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—‘T2427-1,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—10 -12 days at 20 C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—4 weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Makes long branches that tend to grow             horizontally.         -   Habit.—Flat and spreading growing type.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching habit, freely             flowering, vigorous.         -   Crop time.—8-10 weeks from unrooted cutting in a 12 cm pot.         -   Plant height.—28 cm.         -   Plant spread.—80 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—20-30 cm.         -   Diameter.—8 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Internode length.—1-6 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 146B with little anthocyanin RHS 64A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Length, mature leaves.—4 cm.         -   Width, mature leaves.—3.5 cm.         -   Shape: Ovate-cordate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Crenate-serrate.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color young foliage, upper surface.—RHS 139A.         -   Color young foliage, lower surface.—139C with anthocyanin             spots RHS 64A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, upper surface.—139A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, lower surface.—139C with anthocyanin             spots RHS 64A.         -   Venation, upper surface.—RHS 139A.         -   Venation, lower surface.—RHS 197A Anthocyanin is present.         -   Petiole, length.—About 2 cm.         -   Petiole, diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 147C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single.         -   Number of flowers per leaf axil.—3.         -   Number of flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.—30.         -   Flower position.—Above and beyond the foliage and typically             facing upwards and outward.         -   Flower shape.—Rounded, mostly flat.         -   Flowers lasting.—about 7-9 days on the plant depending on             environmental conditions Flowers non persistent Flowers not             fragrant Flowering indeterminate and continuous.         -   Flowering season.—Year round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, flowering from spring until fall.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Rate of opening.—From flower bud to fully open flower,             typically about 6-8 days, depending on temperature.         -   Bud length (at stage of showing color).—About 1.3 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—About 1 cm.         -   Bud shape.—ovoid.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, just before opening.—RHS 145C and RHS 61A. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—Single, five per flower, imbricate.         -   Length of banner petal.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Width of banner petal.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Length lateral and basal petals.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Width lateral and basal petals.—About 2.0 cm.         -   Lateral and basal petal shape.—Obovate-spathulate.         -   Banner petal shape.—Broadly obcordate.         -   Petal apex.—Retuse to emarginate.         -   Petal base.—Rounded, attenuate.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth, satiny.         -   Petal color.—— Upper surface when opening and fully opened:             RHS 155B as a white star from the middle from the flower and             RHS 72A Red-Purple — Lower surface when opening and fully             opened: RHS 155B as a white star from the middle and RHS 72B             Red-Purple. -   Sepals:     -   -   Lateral sepals.—2.         -   Shape.—Ovate-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—3-7 mm.         -   Texture upper and lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous. -   Spur:     -   -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Aspect.—Curved.         -   Color.—RHS 73C at the broad part and Yellow-green to the end             RHS 145C. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—1 mm.         -   Aspect.—About 45 degrees from the stem.         -   Color.—RHS N199C.         -   Bracts.—At least 2.         -   Shape.—Linear-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Length.—3-6 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 146D. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, filaments             free, hooded Anther shape: Obovate Anther length: About 4 mm             Anther colour: RHS 155A with 73B at the top Amount of             pollen: No pollen.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One Pistil length: About 5 mm             Stigma shape: Columnar, five segmented Stigma color:             Colorless Style color: RHS 137A Ovary arrangement: Five             celled Ovary colour: RHS 137A. -   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant named ‘Imtrabastar,’ as substantially illustrated and described herein. 